Railroad-track.



F. K. HOLMESTED.

RAILROAD TRACK.

' APPLICATION FILED rmme, 191s.

L'Z5 1g5 Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

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rn-Aivofs K.- HOLMESTEID, or QUINNIMONT, WEsT VIRGINIA.-

RAILROAD-TRACK.

Application'filed February 28, 1913.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANCIS K. HOLME- s'rno, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Qguinnimont, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad tracks and particularly to metallic ties and means for separably securing rails thereto.

The improved railroad track has been specially devised for use in mines where it is necessary to frequently change the posltion of a track or to take up and relay track rails in different positions or other places.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a railway track wherein the rails and ties may be readily associated and separated without requiring the use of spikes or other analogous fastenings, and wherein all of the fastening parts for the rails are carried intact with the ties.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed and constituting an improvement on the railroad track disclosed by my pending application Serial No. 736,451, filed December 12, 1912.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a railroad track showing ties with rails thereon, the rails being broken and one tie being illustrated as having the rail fastening means disposed for reception of the rails. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one extremity of one of the ties illustrating one of the rail fasteners in position to receive a rail flange prior to locking the rail to the tie. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the rail fastener in a locking position. Fig. t is a longitudinal vertical section through a part of one of the ties on an enlarged scale showing the fastener and a portion of one of the rails in cross-section. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the position of the rail fastener and the locking catch therefor when the fastener is disposed to receive the rail flange.

The numeral '5 designates a tie which is constructed of suitable channeled iron or other metal adapted for the purpose and of such general dimensions as to render the same convenient for use in a mine. The ties are all of similar structure and will be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 7,1913%. Serial no. "251,377.

spaced required distances apart, and in placing each tie upon the supporting bed the flanged portion thereof will be at the bottom, and the side flanges 6 will be caused to embed themselves in the floor, the said flanges holding the tie against displacement in view of the fact that the material of the floor will be pressed upwardly within the body of the tie between the two opposing flanges at the sides and the flanges will thereby rest in grooves. By this means the tie may be readily placed and secured against movement after placement, and when it is desired to remove the track or to detach the parts thereof and dispose the several ties embodied in the track organization in other places each tie may be readily elevated from the floor and transported to the place for further use.

Each tie is equipped with similar rail fasteners consisting of a flat metal plate 7 having the opposite ends bent inwardly in reverse directions to form rail flange guards or engaging members 8. Primarily it is preferred that each plate from which the fastener is formed be of rectangular contour and of such length that a close engagement will be insured between the inner walls of the inwardly bent guards or engaging members 8 and the opposite side edges of the base flange of the rail disposed in the fastener. Owing to the rectangular contour of the plate from which the fastener is formed, the inwardly and reversely bent guard or flange engaging members 8 will be projected slightly at opposite side edges of each fastener and thereby increase the purchase or binding action of the said guards or engaging members 8 on the top surface of the opposite portions of the rail flange in diagonal relation. The inwardly and reversely bent arrangement of the guards or members 8 also gives a longer bearing between the inner surfaces of the bent walls of said guards or members relatively to the portions of the rail flange fitted therein, and a positive and reliable securement of the rails on the ties is thus provided without the necessity of as at 9 by a suitable pivot pin or rivet-airsorted through the center thereof and-the center of the top of the tie, as clearly shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and indicated in dotted lines by Figs. 4 and 5.

the same in proper position forthe introduction of a rail fiange therein, and after the rail flange has been engaged with thesaid fastener the latter is swung or turned] on the tie and by'such action the rail is siniultaneously secured andat the same time isdrawn into proper gage relatively tothe companion rail on the oppositeextremity of the tie, and thus any necessity of measuring or gaging the rails after they have been disposed in the fasteners is avoided. WVhen the pivoted fastener B is swung around or turned into locking position relatively to the rail, it is securely held against movement by'aloclring latch which in the present instance consists of'a resilient rod 10 having one end bent upwardly and projected through the tie and headed, as at 11, and the opposite end also bent upwardly, as at 12, to fornia catch "pin which is movable th'rough an'opening 15in the top of the tie and also through a corresponding opening 14L in the pivoted fastener B. In order to rel'easethe locking latch or locking 'means as just explained from the fastener B, another opening 15 is formed in the top of the tie in'p'rop'er positiono'ver theinain body of the rod 10' to permit the insertion through the said openin is of a pick point or other pointed implement and by this means exert a downward pressure onthe locking latch and release the locking pin or end l'2'thereof from the fastener, and after this "release has been eifectedthe fastener may be again turned into position torelea'se the, rail therefrom. It'will be seen that the opening 15 is located close to the'fastener 'B and owing to the adjacency of this opening to the fastener the pick point orthe blade of any ot-her'impiement may be braced against the fastener when operating the ing latch.

terposed between the fastener-and *the tie and as a consequence there is nodanger of a breakdown or distortion-of intermediate parts-and modification of the track level.

The track rails will be maintained in proper relative positions in a horizontalplane,lwith; material advantages in the movement of rolling stock or cars thereover.

The pivoted f-astener B is shiftable 'on its pivot tobring -n-a-pplying the rails to thetie extremities having thereon the fixed fasteners A, each tie is turned in such position that the open- 'ing' between the guards or engaging. mem "-bers 8 will be disposed in the same direction asthetie on which it is inountedwhen said tie is arranged transversely across the floor ,or bed upon which'it is disposed, and after the rail has been'seated or pushed into the seat of each fixed fastener formed between the guards orengagingmeinbers 8, the tie'is bodily. turned from an'angular position un der the rail to a direction'transverse of the floor or bed or in a planeatright angles to the rail in order to bring the guards or engaging members 8 tightly over the diagonally opposite portions of the base flange of the rail. lnapplying the frail section or railsto the pivoted fasteners B, the said latter fasteners are first turned to the position shown by Figs. 1 and 2 or at a slight diagonal plane relatively to the tie or so that the seat or; each fastener B will be disposed with its opposite open portions to receive therail flange, and after the rail is nserted in the pivoted fastener or fasteners the latter are each turned under the base flange of the rail or rail section to cause the guards 8 thereof to be drawn against opposite portions of'the base flange of therail and at the same time draw the railengaging the same in proper spaced relation or gage rela tively to the rail section or railassociated with tllGfElStQIlQI or fasteners A. Each of the fasteners B -is moved .or turned under the base flange of the rail until the opening 14 therein registerswith the opening13, and

when this registration ensues the pin or pro-V jection'12'of the lock will immediately snap upwardly andsecure the pivoted, fastener against movement. When the pivoted" fasteners are locked they are inconverging "planes relatively to thefixed fasteners, or the pair'of fasteners oneach tie when engaged by rail flanges is in converging diagonal relationrelatively to the V-tie, this converging relation of the fasteners 'on'e'ach same to depress themain body' of the locktiedistinguishing the present invention from that disclosed in f myf application hereinbefore noted. The fasteners also'o erateto bring the'rail sections into acc-urate longitudinal alinementso 'that no adjustment or special manipulation is necessary to compl'ete the laying'ofthe track. VVhen the track is taken up ordisorganiz'echeach rail section engaging'the pivoted-fasteners will 'be first released by shifting the said fasteners to the positions sho'wn-by'Figs. l andQ, and afterward the remaining rail or 'r'ailsection engaging the'fixed fasteners will be releasedby swinging the ties thereunder.

In addition to the adi' aiitages hereinbe- 'fore noted thelnornial diagonal disposition .of the rail fasteners A, 13,. gives" an extended support to the basefiangesof the rails and consequently to the rails as an entirety, and, furthermore, in the use of narrow ties carrying the fasteners the latter have their opposite extremities projected over the opposite sides of the ties to increase the base bearing for the rails.

While the improved rail fastening means and ties as thus explained are preferred for use in mine railways or tracks, it will be understood that they might be adopted in other railway constructions and facilitate the removal and replacement of rails that may become worn and unfit for further use.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a tie, fasteners on opposite extremities thereof having rail engaging means, one fastener being normally fixed on the tie and the other fastener pivoted on the tie, both fasteners when in rail engaging position having an inward convergence in diagonal relation to the tie, and readily releasable means for automatically locking the pivoted fastener when turned to a predetermined position on the tie.

2. The combination of a tie, fasteners on opposite extremities thereof having rail engaging means, one fastener being normally fixed on the tie and the other fastener pivoted on the tie, rail sections engaging the fasteners, the fixed fastener being associated with the one rail section by swinging the tie thereunder and the pivoted fastener caused to engage the other rail section by turning said latter fastener on the tie, both rail fasteners being disposed in converging diagonal planes relatively to the top of the tie when engaging the rail sections, and readily releasable means for automatically locking the pivoted fastener when turned to a converging plane relatively to the fixed fastener.

3. The combination of a metal tie, rail fasteners on opposite extremities of the tie provided with rail engaging means, one fastener being fixed and the other fastener pivoted to the tie, the pivoted fastener and the portion of the tie adjacent thereto having openings therein adapted to register, and a locking latch for the pivoted fastener consisting of a spring rod bent at opposite extremities, the one bent extremity being secured to the tie and the other bent extremity in position to move through the said openings in the tie and pivoted fastener.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS K. HOLMESTED.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. HYER,

JAMES L. NORRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. G. 

